Final answer:
It will take approximately 27.78 years for the populations of the two towns to become equal.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find out in how many years the population of the two towns will be equal, we need to set up an equation.
Let x be the number of years it takes for the populations to become equal.
The population of the first town can be represented by 14,000 + 160x.
The population of the second town can be represented by 24,000 - 200x.
Setting these two expressions equal to each other, we have:
14,000 + 160x = 24,000 - 200x
Adding 200x to both sides and subtracting 14,000 from both sides:
360x = 10,000
Dividing both sides by 360:
x ≈ 27.78
Therefore, it will take approximately 27.78 years for the populations of the two towns to become equal.
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